Riches and Praise

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,

Thou my inheritance now and always,

Thou and thou only first in my heart,

High King, of heaven my treasure thou art!

 

 

       I have been thinking about that part of this hymn a lot lately.  Especially when I see shows like America's Got Talent or The Voice.  People who go to those shows to display their talents and hopefully win approval, put so much importance in "man's empty praise" and the money they will get as a result.  And when I see that I can only think of that hymn. 

       Recently I went to a talent show and did my best to give my best to all the people there.  I am sure I thought about this hymn then also.  I didn't win that show or place at all but I was invited to another one 2 weeks later.  Now in preparing for this next one (which I am very excited about) I have been asking God "What do You think about this?  Is this ok with You?  Am I only heeding riches and man's empty praise by going to this?"

      Before all this happened, I had been asking God to let me do more with the gift of and passion for singing that He had given me.  This came up and I think there is something to be learned through this.  I wondered if this might be something God let happen so I could make a choice between His praise or man's.

      Last night as I was praying about this and thinking about riches and praise and my will not to heed them and wondering if I should call the whole thing off, I felt like God said "All glory to Me and all money to Me"  So then I said to God "If I win the praises of the judges, all glory goes to You because You made me and my singing voice and gave me this opportunity to go there.  The money will be Yours only and I will give it where You lead me." 

 





 

So to Him be the glory and power and praise!

Amen










I see people and the things that happen to them.  Things that change their lives.  Things that make them look different or make them unable to walk or unable to talk.  It's often difficult for these people to accept these drastic changes in their life - some might call them tragedies.  It is often difficult for them to believe that this would happen to them.  Hearing these stories, I realize that anything can happen - to me - just like those people.  I realize what great gifts it is to be able to walk and dance and talk.  I cannot imagine what it would be like if I could not express myself.  I would have to cling to God if such a thing happened to me.  Just like anyone else things can happen to me as suddenly as they did to people I know.  But for now, I am grateful.  I am grateful that I can see and that I can move and that I am beautiful.  If something were to happen to me, I do not know how I would respond, if I would be disbelieving or depressed, but I hope that I would take it in stride as a part of God's plan for my life - part of my life.  For now, though, I am grateful for what I have.

I often pray through singing or writing poems.  Here are two prayers for a brother and a sister of mine:

 

Save My Brother

 

 

Open his eyes so he can see,

Banish the darkness, set him free!

 

Loose the bonds of stubborn pride,

Shine light in places he would hide.

 

Take his heart and make it new,

Reveal Yourself so he'll follow You.

 

Teach him love is the only way,

Father, save my brother!

Save him today!

 

Amen.

 

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Free My Sister

 

Father she can't find you,

She's longing for the truth.

She needs Your revelation,

She's searching for the proof.

 

Show her You're a Father

And You can set her free.

Show her that You're kind and good,

That You're everything she needs.

 

Speak to her within her heart,

Let her know she's loved.

Help her to believe that, God,

You're always there above.

 

Father, free my sister!

Help her know You're really there,

Let her know You love her,

Oh God, let her know You care!



A friend of mine, Papa Benayah pointed out to me the fact that if we follow God, we should talk about Him. He's our life so why not talk about Him more? Why not talk about how we met Him?
In the words of Mrs. Donna: "I love talking about Him, He's my favortite person in the whole world!"
Yeah and He's my best friend.  We often feel funny about talking about God, but it's not wierd, it's normal!

Consider this conversation:

Person 1: "I love spending time with my friend, Angie, she is so kind and honest and she's always there for me."

Person 2: "Really? I don't know Angie that well, I should spend more time with her and get to know her."

Person 1: "Yeah, and she's so much fun to be with!"

Pretty normal, right? And not at all wierd or uncomfortable.

Change it up a bit:

Person 1: "I love spending time with God, He's like my best friend. He's so kind and honest with me and He's always there for me. Plus He has the greatest sense of humor."

Person 2: "Really? I don't know God that well, I should spend more time with him and get to know Him better."

I'm sure you knew where that was going! Anyway the cool thing about God is that anything good you can think of (generosity, kindness, wisdom, patience) He's all of those things so you'll never run out of subjects to talk about Him. We can ask questions of Him too: What kinds of things does God like? How can I get to know Him? What have others experienced when they're with Him?

I've made my point - now for me to implement it...

Went on a trip recently and flew all the way.  The flight home was nuts, we had four flight changes!  Strapped in a small place thousands of feet up in the air is a kind of insecure kind of feeling. Especially if its a small plane and there is turbulance.  So mom and me were a little nervous.  I'm always asking God to keep us safe but mostly to help us not be afraid.  So I jotted down a short prayer:

We love you Lord

And all Your commands

We've faithfully obeyed,

So on this airplane flight

Please keep us safe and un-afraid. 



Here is an older-ish poem I wrote.  I struggle with not being kind and respectful with my words when a member of my family does something I don't like.  I think this poem came out of that.


Said the girl beside the water:
"I cannot see the good,
All I see is darkess, pain,
And I don't do what I should."


Said the girl inside the water,
"Look deeper and you'll find,
That the good is all around you,
All you have to do is try."


"I know that I should love,"
Said the one upon the bank,
"But always in the moment
I've got my selfishness to thank."


"Take each minute slowly,"
Said the one 'neath ripples, bright,
Think of what you want the most,
And then just do what's right!"

Champions!!!

The last couple of months, my friends and I have been doing a soccer league as a fund raiser for our missionaries in Mexico.  Each game that we play, all the players (about 16) donate a little money towards the fund.
We had four teams in the beginning and we rotated playing a game against each other every week on Sunday.  Then, just recently, we had a day for finals where two teams played and the other two played after them. Whoever won on the two games were the final contestants and they played against each other on my brother's birthday January 15th.  I am very happy to report that my team ended up being in the finals and then we were the Champions!!!

Yes!!!!

Here is my team, we're SO AWESOME!! : 

Brandon, Paul, Me, my brother John, Joel, Micaiah, Ashley, and Susie

Here are our friends in Mexico who are serving the Lord:

Gannah and Asher with their kids Edith, Evelyn, Esther (who was visiting) Eldora, Michael, Raphael, Emily and Eliana.  I love them very much and miss them a lot!

A Dream, A Wish, A Savior

(This is not long, dispite what your eyes are telling you :)

This is a story that I made up on the spot for Autumn when I went to Memphis on December 15th.
Kids love to hear stories and when she asked me, I decided that it was fitting to make the story have a Christmas theme. I based it off the song I would be singing the following day for the Christmas recital.
Hope you enjoy this fresh Christmas story :)


Emily had always asked for the latest toy or the newest game when Christmas came around. This year she new that she wanted that "Littlest Pet Shop" set that her friend Grace had gotten, but something would soon change her mind. 

Saturday was the Christmas concert at Emily's school and today Emily's 4th grade teacher approached her. 
"Emily," her teacher began, "How would you like to sing a song for the Christmas concert? Here is a lovely song you can sing. I think you'll like it." And she gave Emily the words and accompaniment cd to a song called "Grown-up Christmas Wish".

When Emily read the words, something changed inside her heart and she put her whole self into learning this new song. When the night of the Christmas concert came Emily was not nervous one bit. She got up to the microphone with confidence and sang these words:

No more lives torn apart,
Wars would never start,

And time would heal all hearts.

Everyone would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end.
This is my grown-up Christmas list.
.

Emily had been awakened to the fact that there was need in the world and that her wishes for toys and goodies did not bring change to this world.  

As Emily sang the song, no eye was dry in the auditorium. Her parents saw that something had changed on their little girl's face. More surprises awaited them at home this Christmas season. 

That night when Emily was fast asleep her parents came in to get her letter to Santa. Every year she would put it in a special mail box that they told her would send it straight to Santa in the night. Her mother took out the letter and they sneaked out of her room. Ready to get her anything she wanted (as they were considerably wealthy) they opened the envelope addressed to the North Pole and were surprised at what it read. In Emily's nine-year-old handwriting was this list:

                       Deer Santa this year i want to ask you for things that will help peepol.

If its not to much, heer is my grown up chrismas wish.

                                                                  1. no mor livs torn upart

     2. wars wud never start

      3. tim wud heal all harts

         4. evryone wud hav a frind

 5. rit wud all waz win

6. luv wud never end

Emily's parents looked at one another.

"What has gotten into her?" said her father.

"Money certainly can't buy any of that."  His wife replied soberly,

"We'll just have to guess on what to get her." Christmas day came and Emily jumped out of bed as she always did on this day every year, but she was after something different this time. When she looked under the tree her smile faded. There wasn't any love or any answer to her wish at all. Just packages with toys and clothes.  She couldn't understand why she hadn't gotten what she had asked for.

As time went by, Emily continued to change. Her father said she was just going through a phase and that it would soon end, but he didn't understand that it was just beginning.  More and more she began to notice the suffering and sadness in the world. She'd see it on TV and when she went out in public:  children crying, angry mothers, arguing couples, sad teenagers. So many lacking for love and care.

Much to the embarrassment of her parents Emily began to make a habit of smiling and talking to people in the grocery store or the bowling alley. 

"I want to make people happy by treating them like my family." she said when her parents asked her why.

The next year when Christmas rolled around Emily wrote her wish list. To the dismay of her parents the only thing that had changed was her spelling.  Emily only wanted what would heal the world. 

At 11, her Christmas wish list still remained what is had been the last two years.  Emily was still doing her part to change the world, but she felt alone and inadequate.  What difference could she make anyway?  And why had her wish not come true?  She had been as good as she could be every day and Santa still hadn't given her wish a thought. Wasn't it a perfectly reasonable request?

Soon Emily got her answer.  One day as she was walking her dog she went past a building she had seen many times but never noticed.  People were going in and they all looked happy and nice so she went up to one particularly kind lady and asked where they were going. 
"To church." said the woman with a smile and she invited Emily to join them.

Now Emily's parents had never believed in God and so she was never told about Him.
She came in and sat down and a story unfolded that opened her eyes!  She heard that long ago someone had been hear with us.  One who changed the world for the better and who had much wisdom for everyone. Emily decided the He was her type of person.  Then the pastor said those words:  that this person was going to return and end all the sadness and darkness of this earthly realm.


Joy and hope filled her whole being and her soul finally found its rest.  Emily raised her hand (it was nearly the end of the sermon anyway) and called out:
"I want this Jesus to come! I want Him to save us!  And I want to be like Him"
The pastor told her that she could! And he called her up and helped her pray to God for the first time. 

After that day Emily never stopped loving her Lord and hastening the day when He would come.  And because of her heart, by her 13th birthday Emily's parents also awaited the day and stood along side her in her new-found Salvation.

Ending thought:  This story also expresses something I feel often.  When I think about just how much darkness there is in the world and how it cannot all be fixed, I feel help-less. I feel silly praying for all the hungry in the world or all the hurting, maybe because I don't have faith that it can all be healed. But then I remember that it all can and will soon when our Lord comes!

                              Come, Lord Jesus, Come!!!!

Make My Life a Ride!!! (And let me submit to it)

In our Gathering today (or church service) we talked about the fact that if life is perfect with no hardships then one is probably being "taken care of" by the devil. 

I do not want an ordinary life. I do not like when I seek my own comfort or satisfy my own desires and I do this all the time!  What happened to denying myself? 

God, show me clearly where in my life you want me to deny myself! Remove selfishness from me and God I beg you to let your plans for my life play out because I know you have an extraordinary story for me!! Extraordinary!



Make my life an adventure, God,

Don't let me fall asleep.

To be bound along on a journey, God,

Your power I may reap.

A life-long obstacle course, Dear God,

I ask for this glorious ride!

To be taken over mountains, God,

With you as my trusted guide!

After I wrote the last poem I picked out this picture to go with it and while I was doing so another poem started forming!  Hope it's powerful and portrays my heart:

The Mountains, Not the Tranquil Pool

Don't let me choose the selfish way

Of comfort, ease and cool,

But let me choose the dirty work:

The mountain, not the tranquil pool.

Not seeking safety or repose,

Nor avoiding thorns and enjoying rose.

Oh, God, that road is for a fool.

May I choose the mountains not the tranquil pool.

Embrace the climb, bear the blisters,

Gleaning power from brothers and sisters.

Enrolling in this rugged school,

Only the mountains, not the tranquil pool!

That oneday God, I'll see you smile,

To hear you attest that I took every mile!

To hear You say that I'm Your jewel,

That I braved every mountain, and rejected the tranquil pool.